Apparatus for stacking sheet material



June 29, 1943. e. F. WIKLE APPARATUS FOR STAQKING SHEET MATERIALOriginal Filed March 8, 1939 4 3 Sheets-Sheet l mm mm m m m *2 mm 1 n mmA e INVENTOR. GEORGE E WIKLE ATTORNEY June 29,1943.

G. F. WIKLE APPARATUS FOR STACKING SHEET MATERIAL Original Filed Marcha, 1959 s Sheet's-Sheet .2

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INVENTOR.

GEORGE E WIK LE June 29, 1943. G..F. WIKLE 2,323,174

APPARATUS FOR STACKING SHEET MATERIAL Original Filed March 8, 1939 3Sheets-Sheet 5 v A V- J.

nullm llug" mmvnm M Games F. WIKLE A TTORNE Y Patented June 29, 1943APPARATUS FOR STACKING SHEET MATERIAL George F. Wikle, Grosse Pointe,Mich., assignor to United States Rubber Company, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New Jersey Original application March 8, 1939, Serial No.260.520. Divided and this application January 23, 1941, Serial No.375,581

2 Claims. (01. 271-75) as pneumatic tires, it has been conventionalpractice to mix the rubber composition in a mixing mill and to cut andremove the rubber stock from the mill in the form of slabs of rubber.These slabs are manually removed from the mill and placed on hooks wherethey are allowed to cool and are coated with a lubricating material,after which they are piled on platforms in storage until needed'forfurther processing. Heretofore all of these steps have been performedmanually, and as the slabs of stock are relatively heavy and are hot,such manual tasks are hazardous and fatiguing.

In an endeavor to alleviate the foregoing objectionable conditions, Iprovide an apparatus which. in a continuous operation, receives anelongated strip of rubber composition from a mixing mill, carries thestrip of rubber through various stages during which one surface of thestrip is treated by the application of a lubricant and a cooling mediumis applied to theopposite surface thereof, cuts the strip into pieces orslabs of uniform lengths, and automatically piles or places the cutlengths in superimposed relation upon a platform or truck skid. Thisinvention is particularly directed to those portions of the apparatuswhich serve in piling or stacking these out lengths of sheet materialautomatically upon a vertically adjustable platform or a conventionaltruck skid positioned thereon.

The invention will be more readily understood from the followingdetailed description when considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus for manipulating andpreparing an elongated strip of rubber stock and for cutting andstacking pieces thereof automatically;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a portion of the apparatus, taken on aplane parallel to the plane of the paper in Fig. 1, on an enlargedscale.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic elevational view, partly in section and partlybroken away, of a device for supporting and controlling verticalmovement of slabs of rubber stock being piled automatically by theapparatus;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed plan view of a portion of a conveyor forthe slab stacking mechanism or this invention;

Fig. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view of a portion of the slabstacking conveyor, taken substantially along line.V-V of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detailed cross-sectional view of a slab stacking conveyorroller and associated structure, taken'substantially along lin VI-VI ofFig. 5; and,

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of the slab stackingmechanism, illustrating the relationship between the slab stackingconveyor and means for driving the conveyor rollers.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to Fig. 1. I show a rubberstock treating apparatus associated with a conventional mixing millillustrated diagrammatically by mill rolls I and 2. In accordance withconventional practice, a quantity of rubber stock 3 is placed in thebite of the mill rolls l and 2, and for a predetermined period of timethe stock is mixed in such manner as to cause a uniform blending of thevarious ingredients which form the rubber composition. After the stock 3is mixed for a predetermined period, an operator cuts the stocklongitudinally of either or the rolls 1 and 2, and the free end of thestock which is rolled into the form of an elongated strip 4 drops bygravity onto a conveyor 5 which transports it to varioustreating andhandling mechanisms described in my application Serial Number 260,520,referred to.

The conveyor 5 is supported on a frame l4 and moves continuouslythroughout the operation of the apparatus and carries the strip of stock4 from the mixing mill along the length of the conveyor and transfersthe strip from the end of the conveyor 5 to a secondary conveyor 24;

The secondary conveyor 24 is located directly below the conveyor 5 andfunctions to return the strip 4 a distance substantially equal to theelevated horizontal portion of the conveyor 5. The object of thehorizontal travel of the stock along the conveyor 5 and back overconveyor 24 is to permit the mixed rubber stock to cool oil sum--ciently prior to the cutting and stacking of slabs of the rubber stock.It is essential to cool .the stock as it has been found that stackingthe pieces of stock into piles while hot causes a detrimental defect inthe rubber composition.

At the drive end of the conveyor 24 and keyed to the shaft 34 a roller50 (Fig. 2) is provided for supporting the wire mesh conveyor belt 32.

Notches 5| are provided in the roller 50 to permit clearance for thestructural angles 3I which support the belt 32.

During the cooling of the strip 4, water is sprayed over it, and a drainpan 52 is provided at the drive end of the conveyor 24 in order tocollect any water that may drip from this portion of the conveyor. Adrain line 53 removes the water from the pan 52.

Removal of the strip of stock 4 from the conveyor 24 is assisted by aroller 54 (Fig. 2) driven in any suitable manner, not shown and is keyedto a shaft 55 supported by bearings attached to the structural frame I4.From the driven roller 54 the strip passes on to a shearing device whichcuts the strip into slabs or pieces I04. The shearto a shaft 51 mountedin bearings attached to the structural frame I4. The supporting roller55 is driven in any suitable manner, not shown. Associated with thesupporting roller 56 is a driven cutting roll 58 including a spiralblade porting roller 55, means is providedfor moistening the surface ofthe rubber stock during the cutting operation. This means includes acon-' tainer 53 (Fig. 2) attached to the structural frame I4 and locatedin such a manner as to permit a portion of the supporting roller 55 tobe partly submerged in water in the container 53. A conduit 64 joins thecontainer 53 with the drain 53 whereby water collected in the pan 52 maypass through the drain 53 and conduit 54 into the container 53. Theconduit 53 includes an elevated portion 55 which functions to maintainadefinite water level in the container 53. Excess water leaves theelevated portion 65 of the drain 53 and is discharged into a drain 56.

From the cutting device the stock, as uniformly cut pieces or slabs I04, passes between driven rollers 61 and 58 keyed to shafts 59 and I0,respectively, which deposit the cut pieces of stock I04 on a stackingconveyor II. The shaft 59 is mounted in bearings supported by thestructural frame I4, and the shaft I is mounted in brackets 12 pivotallyconnected to the structural frame I4 at I3. Theroller 61 is driven and agear I4 keyed to the shaft 69 engages with a gear I keyed to the shaftI0, with the result that the roller 68 is driven in the oppositedirection to that of the roller 51 to assist in removing the slabs ofstock I04 from the cutting device and for depositing these slabs on theconveyor.II.

, -While the roller 58 is pivotally mounted to the frame I4, its weightis suflicient to form proper contact between the gears I4 and I5 and forproperly engaging the rubber stock.

The cutting operation is further facilitated by drivin the rollers 61and 58 slightly faster than the movement of the stock at the cuttingoperation. This differential stock movement stretches the stock slightlyat the margin adjacent the knife blade 59.

The slab stacking apparatus or mechanism comprises an endless beltconveyor II moving in a substantially rectangular path, and arranged ingdevice includes a supporting roller 55 keyed 59 which cooperates withthe supporting roller cutting operation each slab is laid on top of a ofthe rollers [00.

veyor. Essentially, the conveyor path is defined,

by a track 96 (P13, 1) which forms three sides of the path, theremaining side of the path being occupied by the conveyor suspendedbetween sprockets 91 and 98. Sprocket 91 is keyed to the shaft 92mounted in bearings supported by the structural frame I4, and is drivencontinuously throughout the operation of the apparatus in synchronismwith the conveyor 24 and cutting rolls 56, 58by any suitable means, notshown. This rectangular conveyor II is of such size as to permit pilingor stacking of a substantial quantity of slabs-or pieces of rubber stockwithin the confines of the upper and lower reaches of the conveyor.

The sprocket 98, which is an idler sprocket, is mounted in bearingsattached to the structural frame I 4. Conveyor chains 99 engage thesprockets 91 and 90, and the track 95. The supporting part of theconveyor comprises a plurality of rollers I00 .(Fig. 4) freely rotatableupon shafts I M attached to links of the conveyor chains 99. Throughoutthe length of the conveyor II the rollers I00 are located in groups,each of which can receive and support a slab of stock thereon when thegroup of rollers is in a horizontal position at the upper part of theconveyor.

This grouping arrangement of the rollers I00 provides a gap between eachsuccessive group of a width suflicient to permit a slab of rubber tomove from a supported position on a group of rollers through the gapbetween that group and the next successive group of rollers, and to aposition within the conveyor. The rollers I 00 in each group areconnected together by a chain I02 meshing with sprockets I03 attached toeach Because of the closeness of the rollers I00, it is necessary tostagger the sprockets I03 and provide a relatively wide chain I02, asshown best in Figs. 4 and 6.

The chain 99 is provided with rollers I05 which engage the track 95, andat the curved portions of the track guide brackets I05 (Fig. 2) areprovided for maintaining the chains I02 in contact with the sprocketsI03.

As the rubber slabs I04 are removed from the groupof the rollers I00. Inthe first stage of the operation the rollers I 00 of a single group donot rotate about their respective axes, but merely serve as amovingtable (Fig. 2) to carry the rubber stock along the upper path ofthe conveyor. When the group of rollers I00 has reached a positionsubstantially above the stack of rubber slabs, means is provided tocause rotation of the rollers I 00 rearwardly (0r clockwise as viewed inFig. 2) about their respective axes while they continue to moveforwardly as a group along theconveyor path and this reverse rotationcauses the rubber slab I04 to remai in a relatively stationary positionwhile the group of rollers I00 moves out from beneath .the slab. As theend of the slab of rubber extends over the gap between adjacent groupsof rollers, the end of the rubber stock under the influence of gravity,drops through this gap or opening and onto the stack of slabs. Theconveyor continues to move in its path, with the result that successiveslabs of rubber stock are carried by and dropped from the rollers ofsuccessive groups and come to rest uniformly centered upon the abouttheir axes at the proper time, as indicated above, I provide a rack I01(Fig. which is engageable with the intermediate portion of the chain I02for driving the rollers I00. A guide bar I24 is positioned below thechain I02 and opposite the rack I01 for assisting in maintain-. ing thechain I02 in proper mesh relation with the rack I01. Except for a shockabsorbing spring action, the rack I01 is substantially stationary. Itsengagement with the chain I02 occurs as the chain is brought intoengagement with the rack I01 due to the travel of the conveyor aroundits rectangular path; The rack I01 is pivotally supported at I08 frcm'abracket I09 attached to the structural frame IL. Sleeves H0 form a partof the rack I01 and engage rod III which are pivoted at I08 to thebracket I 09. A spring H2 is interposed between the sleeves H0 and thebracket I09. By this arrangement a slight cushioning movement of therack in a horizontal direction is permissible. A'slight verticalcushioning movement is also provided by means of a bracket II3 securedto the rack I01 and cooperating through a spring II4 with a stud II5attached to bracket I09. This cushioning movement of the rack I01, asshown in Fig. 7, is necessary because of the probability of impropermeshing of the rack I01 with the chain I02 upon its first contact. I

I provide elevating means by which the deposited slabs may be loweredprogressively from a uniform depositing position in order to accommodatea substantial quantity of slabs shown in Fig. 3. For purposes ofconvenience, the slabs of stock I04 are laid on a conventional truckskid H6 or other removable support. The truck skid in turn rests upon anelevator platform I I1 which,

through rods II 8, is supported by a frame I I9. A fluid operatedcylinder I20 rigidly attached to the structural frame I4 by members I 2|engages with the frame I I 9 for raising or lowering the elevatorplatform I I1. It is of the skid H6 or the top of the last depositedslab of stock I04 at a'substantially uniform distance below the upperflight of the conveyor H. A preferred relation is shown in Fig. 2. Inorder to maintain this distance throughout the depositing operation, Ilower the elevator progressively through any suitable control actuatedby an electric eye, comprising units I22 and I23 (Fig. 3) which may beconnected with any conventional electric valve mechanism (not shown) foroperating. the fiuid cylinder I20 when the valve mechanism is energizedby the electric eye. When the elevator platform H1 is lowered to the endof its stroke, or when a suflicient quantity of rubber slabs aredeposited on the truck skid I I6, the apparatus may be stopped by anoperator and the truck skid with the stack of rubber slabs removed byany conventional means. Another truck skid I It may be replaced on theelevator platform H1 and the platform raised to its elevated position,and the apparatus is again ready for a similar cycle of operation.

It is to be understood that stock may be fed continuously to the millrolls I and 2 for continuous operation of the apparatus, or theapparatus may be operated intermittently to accommodate a quantity ofrubber stock 3 deposited in the bite of the mill rolls I and 2.

preferable to maintain the top While I have thus shown and described thespecific details of a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to beunderstood that such details are not intended to be limitative of theinvention except insofar as is set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what'I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent is:

1. A stacking device comprising an endless conveyor having verticallyspaced upper and lower reaches, a portion of the ,upper reach beinghorlzontally disposed for receiving slabs of rubber.

composition and for moving the slabs horizontally along with theconveyor, a slab receiving platform positioned between the upper andlower reaches of the conveyor, said conveyor including a plurality ofrollers arranged in groups for supporting the slabs positioned upon theconveyor, the adjacent groups of rollers being separated from each otherto form openings therebetween, means movably carried by each group andinterconnecting the rollers thereof for simultaneous rotationalmovement, relatively stationary means operable upon said first namedmeans at predetermined intervals for rotating the groups of rollerssuccessively during movement of the conveyor, whereby the slabs carriedby the groups of rollers are caused to drop successively throughopenings between successive groups when said rollers are rotated, saidmeans interconnecting the rollers comprising one or more endless chainsto form openings therebetween, means movably carried by each group andinterconnecting the rollers thereof for simultaneous rotationalmovement, relatively stationary means positioned adjacent the horizontalportion of the upper reach and operable upon said first named means atpredetermined intervals for rotating the groups of rollers successivelyduring travel of the conveyor, whereby the slabs carried by the groupsof rollers are caused to drop successively through openings betweenadjacent groups when said rollers are rotated, said first meanscomprising one or more endless chains operatively associated withsprockets positioned upon the rollers, the relatively stationary meanscomprising a toothed rack engageable with said endless chain or chaihsfor operating said chain during movement of the conveyor, and means forautomaticallyadjusting the elevation of theplatform in accordance withthe amount of stock positioned thereon so as to I maintain the upper orslab receiving surface thereof at a substantially constant elevation.

GEORGE F. WIKLEL the conveyor, the adjacent groups of rollers beingseparated from each other

